Many piers in South Jersey withstood Sandy's fury with only minimal damage, thanks in part to their concrete construction. The storm slowed down as it moved north, where its longer stay caused far more destruction. Design, however, also played a role, engineers and pier owners say. Commercial piers, such as Steel Pier and others in Atlantic City, are made of concrete and are designed to support buildings. Other, smaller structures, like the Ventnor Fishing Pier, rely on engineering that accounts for the force of wave action, engineers say.